Lansing onderdonk



(No Model) x L; ONDERDONK.

SEWING MACHINE No. 583,389. v Patented May 25,1897.

I ijjjijjiiiijjjjjjj lllllllllfllllelllllmn Witnesses:

W 'l T 7 Inventor.

Attorney.

THE mums Pumice .'PNGTTH.IM. wasumumu, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

LANSING ONDERDONK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SPECIALSEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,389, dated May 25,1897.

Original application filed October 6,1892, Serial No. 448,073. Dividedand this application filed January 10, 1894. Renewed February 6,1897.Serial No. 622,360. (No modclfi To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LANSING ONDERDONK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines, ofwhich the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to an improvement in sewing-machines, andparticularly to that class known as lock-stitch machines.

In an application filed by me October 6, 1892, Serial No. 448,073, Ihave illustrated the machine upon which my present invention is to beused, and this application is a division thereof.

The object of this invention is to provide means cooperating with thestitch-forming mechanism whereby the opening, spreading, and drawing inof the needle-loop is fa cilitated. The invention therefore consists inthe mechanism hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 isa side elevation, partly in section, of so much of a sewing-machine asis necessary to an understanding of my invention. Fig. 2 is an endelevation showing the parts in one position. Fig. 3 is a similar View,certain of the elements being omitted, showing the relation of the partsafter the hook has moved from the position shown in Fig. 2. Figs. t and5 are detail views of the hook-race front and rear plates, respectively.Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the looper and illustrating clearly theform of the spreader.

In the drawings, A is the bed-plate of the machine; B, the needle-bar;a, the feed-bar, and D the rotating hook. These parts are allconstructed and operate in the manner described in connection with theaforesaid application, and as, per so, they form no part of the presentinvention need not be more specifically mentioned.

Secured to the under side of the bed-plate is a hanger a, which, asshown in Fig. 1, is approximately cup-shaped. This hanger has a recess0, and to the side thereof is secured,

by means of screws 8, the plates C C forming the hook-race. The plate Cis provided with a rib, and the plate 0 which is arranged behind thehook D and against the supporting-hanger, forms one side of a groove inwhich the hook rotates. It will be seen that by making this plate C ofvarying thicknesses the distance of the hook from the needle will beregulated, said plate thereby form ing a spacing-plate by means of whichalso the wear may be taken up. Both plates are cut away directly beneaththe feed-dogs, being flattened upon the side next the dogs. The cuttingoff of this portion of the raceplate forms thereby a tapering endportion.

By cutting away the race-plates, as shown in the several figures, aforward end is left which terminates at a point approximating the planein which the needle reciprocates and a rearward end is provided whichterminates slightly above the horizontal diameter of the race. Therespective ends afford supports for the spreader and retaining-plate, ashereinafter described, and between said spreader and retaining-plate andin rear of the needle a clearance is afforded for drawing in theneedle-loop and setting the stitch. Furthermore, by locating theretaining-plate as described and providing the bobbin-case with acooperating arm the draft on the thread for setting the stitch is madeat a time and at such an angle that little or no friction or drag iscreated thereon.

Secured upon the flattened portion of the forward end of the race is aloop-spreader H, which is triangular in shape, its apex forming a beakcurving close to the path of the needle and in line above and centralwith the point of the hook, so that when the hook shall have entered theneedle-loop and is carrying it forward it will carry it onto the beak ofthe spreader, or, in other words, as the hook moves forward with theneedle-thread spread by the thickness of the hook, owing to the beak ofthe spreader being pointed and because of its relative position, thehook will carry the needle-thread onto the loop-spreader, and in themovement of the hook the loop of the needle-thread will be opened widerand wider, and thus at the angle at which it is drawn on and the tensionof the thread cause the same to pass back around the hook and bobbinsooner and easier than if left entirely to the time and form of thehook. It also saves breaking of the thread by any strain that mightoccur if the hook should fail to cast the thread off at the proper time.This loopspreader is preferably formed of metal and is bent over, so asto lie perfectly flat or on top of the race. I have found that it is ofgreat ad vantage to arrange this loop-spreader on a race constructed asabove mentioned, for the reason that it is more than wide enough tocover the race-plates C 0 and thus prevent the needle-loop orends ofthread from being drawn between the plates or the hanger a and becomingwedged therein. I may and preferably do make these plates ofantifriction material, such as wood or wool-fiber, so that oiling willbe unnecessary and at the same time grinding or cutting out beingavoided.

Upon the rear end of the race adjacent to the feed-dogs is provided abobbilrcase retainer, consisting of a plate I, provided with a suitablenotch. The bobbin-case has an integral projection or arm F, which isadapted to engage the notch in said stop, and as the latter isstationary the bobbin is kept steady and prevented from revolving withthe hook. These features are of value in a machine of the characterdescribed in that the relation to the needle and the consequent line ofdraft upon the needle-thread in passing between I and F are such as toafford the least possible resistance and to cause it to take place at atime when the draft on the needle-thread is slow and when resistancetheleast affects the drawing up of the thread preparatory to set ting thestitch in the material. Furthermore, the point of contact between I andF is as far as possible from the center of the bobbincase, whereby theresistance to 'the passage of the thread between the plate and the armcaused by the friction between the bobbincase and the hook at the pointof contact is lessened materially, for the greater the distance betweenthe resistance and its source the lesser the friction on the thread. Ihave found that by placing this part I upon the shuttle-race itself Iaccomplish this result in asimple and inexpensive manner.

The construction of the hook is not material to the present invention,said hook being claimed in an application, Serial No. MlthSGi, filed ofeven date herewith.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In asewing-machine the combination with a reciprocating needle, and a rotarylooper carrying a bobbin-case provided with a retainingarm, of a racefor the looper consisting of a segmental plate provided witha groovewithin which the looper travels, and

having its forward end extended to approximately the plane of movementof the needle, and its rear end terminating at a point slightly abovethe horizontal diameter of the race, and a retaining-plate secured tosaid rear end and cooperating with the arm of the bobbin-case to holdthe latter from rotation substantially as described.

2. In a sewing-machine the combination with a reciprocating needle, arotary looper and a segmental race therefor, of a bobbincase carried bysaid looper and provided with a retaining-arm, means cooperating withsaid arm for holding the case stationary relative to the looper, saidmeans being carried by a plate secured to the race, curved to conformthereto, and located in rear of the needle, in a plane parallel with andadjacent the orbit of the looper, and above the horizontal diameter ofthe race, whereby as the loop is drawn to set the stitch it meets withlittle resistance; substantially as described.

In a sewing-machinethe combination with a reciprocating needle and arotating looper, of a race for the latter consisting of a segmentalplate provided with a groovewithin which the looper travels, and havingits forward end extended to approximately the plane of movement of theneedle and its rear end terminating at a point slightly above thehorizontal diameter of the race, and a triangula-r spreader carried bythe forward end of the plate having its beak located centrally of thegroove and in the vertical plane of movement of the looper, whereby theloop of needle-thread is properly opened and equally spread on bothsides of the looper and clearance for the thread afforded in rear of theneedle; substantially as described.

4. A shuttle-race composed of two plates in combination with ahorizontally-disposed triangular loop-spreader, its laterally-extendingportions covering the space between said plates and its beak arranged toreceiveand spread the needle-loop and prevent the same from being drawnbetween the plates and becoming wedged therein; substantially asdescribed.

5. A sewing-1nachine comprising a shuttlerace formed of two platessecured together and a loop-spreader securedto one of said plates oftriangular form with its apex forming a beak curving close to the pathof the needle of the sewing-machine and in line above and central withthe point of the hook, and having a lateral extended portion to coverthe space between the shuttle-race plates; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LANSING ONDERDONK.

\Vitnesses:

EDGAR S. HILL, Jenn D. ALLEN.

